Storyline

Malaysia's detained former Prime Minister Najib Razak will face at least two dozen fresh charges of abuse of power and money laundering over the multimillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund.

Police and the anti-graft agency said that Najib was detained by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday over the transfer of 681 million US dollars into his bank account.

Najib attended court on Thursday, where he also faces several charges under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, according to the anti-graft agency.

The former Prime Minister, who has since been transferred into police custody, has called the case political vengeance.

Najib was earlier charged with multiple counts of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering over the scandal at the 1MDB fund, just months after his shocking electoral defeat.

He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is due to start next year.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

The 1MDB scandal first broke in 2015 when leaked documents showed that 681 million US dollars were transferred into Najib's bank account, leading to massive street rallies calling on him to resign.

Najib fired critics in his government, including a deputy prime minister and the attorney-general, and muzzled the media to try to survive the fallout.

A new attorney-general cleared Najib in January 2016, saying it was a political donation from Saudi Arabia's royal family and most of it had been returned - an explanation that was met with widespread scepticism.

US investigators say Najib's associates stole and laundered 4.5 billion US dollars from the fund, some of which landed in Najib's bank account.

Public anger over the 1MDB scandal eventually led to the ouster of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 polls and ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957.